If #occupy thinks pepper spray is bad, this is Egypt. - NSFL
The #occupy movement in the United States is only a mirror of a larger struggle for intellectual, financial, and civil freedom taking place around the world. The incidences of police brutality that have taken place here in the United States should shock us as they do, but they are nothing compared to what our friends in other countries are facing. It appears that giving someone a uniform and a baton does not instantly impart a sense of universal law and justice upon them.
Let's talk iPhone.
It's here. It's finally here. An official announcement from Apple that an iPhone-related press conference will be held on Apple's main campus in Cupertino, October 4th, 2001. I realize I'm not the first one to notice this, but my take on the poster is that, as usual, Apple has hidden some clues inside. First, the tagline, "Let's talk iPhone", is almost certainly an indicator that we will see Assistant in iOS 5. This is the technology that will allow us to use our phone as a true personal assistant and perform even highly complex actions with voice commands. As someone who drives a lot for my work, I can't wait to be able to send text messages and get directions by voice rather than having to constantly risk my life by looking down and typing.
Also of note, is the singular badge on the phone icon. There has been lots of speculation that Apple would be releasing two phones, the iPhone 5, and a lower-cose iPhone "4S" to enter the lower-end market and possibly serve as a prepaid option. It looks like that's not the case, and we'll only be seeing one phone, at least, if we're reading Apple's thinly veiled hints correctly.
The iPhone 4 will probably continue to be sold and meet this market, and we will only see one new phone from Apple. I may not be a radical departure from the iPhone 4 in physical format, but with the new software, plus a rumoured 1GB of RAM and the dual-core A5 processor from the iPad 2, this phone is sure to be amazing. I just can't wait until the 4th to find out!
Why @Quikster will soon change hands
Ok, really this is just for @mike_ftw to read.
No, I'm not saying he time travelled. No, I'm not saying he's intentionally pretending to be a brand (he's clearly not). The guy just got lucky.
I'm saying Quikster *can't* buy the handle, even if they wanted to, it's a violation of Twitter's policies.
However, if you have the twitter handle of a brand, and attempt in any way to imitate them that is also a violation of policy, and if you attempt to sell said account, same thing. I'm guessing this guy doesn't know that, and once he realizes his newfound fame, he'll try both.
At that point, some Twitter admin will swoop in, and declare him in violation of policy and suspend his account. Then, they'll just transfer it over to the "real" Quikster, and homeboy will have to get a new Twitter account.
And I really don't think it's illegal to post pictures of Harry Potter. I think we can fair use that stuff.
XX - A Playlist of Female Artists
Just made this playlist on Rdio. I guess I'll embed it here so y'all can give it a listen. Did this after someone in a bar said there weren't any good female artists left around. I feel differently.
Getting in Shape the Nerdy Way
Most of my friends laugh at me when I say I'm trying to lose weight, but that's mostly because I wear my excess pounds well. It certainly helps being almost 6'3", and my arms are pretty slim... but really all that means is that I'm skinny and fat at the same time, which makes me feel like Watto when I get out of the shower. So, I've been searching for a tool that would make me actually go to the gym and do something about how I feel. I've been trying to find something like this for years. Over the years, I've used Google Health, Weightbot by Tapbots, and even thought about doing the whole Nike+ thing, but I don't believe in having to buy special shoes.
Finally, I think I've found what works for me, and that is Fitocracy.
They understand that people like me will trade away our time in exchange for meaningless karma and badges that nobody else will ever care about. But I don't mind. I accept the mind games, and will bend myself to whatever silly reasons are getting my butt in the gym. If you're like me, and looking for something to motivate you with points, badges, and challenges to get in shape, go check it out!
iWork now on iPhone!
This is really interesting, not only because it marks the further encroachment into MS Office territory by the more beautiful and affordable iWork suite, but also because this is clearly a response to MS Office integration on WP7 devices. Apple knows that as long as Microsoft can dangle Outlook and Excel support in front of business-class users, they will hold a competitive advantage. Realistically, I can't imagine ever needing to update a spreadsheet so desperately that I needed it on my phone, but, at least psychologically, that need is there for many businesses in America. Hopefully, this new update and extension to small-format mobile devices will allow Apple to gain further traction inside businesses and with professional users as a whole.
Now it's a waiting game until we see MS Office for iOS. The latest update of Office for the Mac has brought Outlook to Mac users, and while it's still chock full of bugs, Microsoft is clearly trying to win back the hearts of some of its lost users to Exchange support and at the very least, an integrated lifestyle using both Windows and OS X.
Apple, by contrast, will *never* ship iWork for Windows.
"Killer" iOS App Idea
And by "Killer"... I mean, of course, terrible.
Assuming Apple advances Game Center (GC) to directly compete with Microsoft's Xbox Live (XBL) system, some interesting apps will develop out of that ecosystem. Here is an idea for an app that is not only a total dick move, but would also probably get rejected in a heartbeat. I'm calling it now, though. Someone's going to try.
First, let us examine what sets GC apart from XBL and why it is not a direct carbon copy. One significant difference is that XBL is highly score focused with online play with friends often being a competitive forum. GC appears to be a more casual environment, with friends scores being listed for "All-Time", "This Week", and "Today". To me, this is designed more to update a user on what his/her friends are playing and bring in a low-pressure, fun-focused level of competitive play in which a user can reach the Daily Leaderboard, without having to worry about beating the All-Time score.
Microsoft has done amazing things with XBL and set the standard for what an online gaming community should feel like. One way they've managed to do that is by setting controls on their developers. All Game Upgrades must be purchased with XBL Points (Apple is set up to compete via In-App Purchase) and developers are restricted concerning Achievement Points. Typically, a feature title has 1,000 XBL Achievement Points to unlock, with DLC usually clocking in at around 250. XBL Arcade games range in point assignment, but most are under 300 total. GC Achievements, by contrast don't even show up in a user's profile, and a user's total score can only be calculated manually by totaling up all the individual achievements earned. Games have a budget of 1,000 GC Points, and no single Achievement can be worth more than 100 points.
However... this will all change as GC evolves, and certainly if they open up an API that allows a developer to create apps that promote a user's score and achievement tracking. I'm expecting this to happen within a year, especially as GC moves back to the Mac in Lion (and hopefully the Apple TV someday soon). With this accesiblity and userbase will come real competetive players.
So, since app publishing is so simple, and GC integration is so easy, I'm sure developers out there will make games for $0.99 (or ad supported) that allow a user to boost their score by 1,000 with some easy (like... click this button, easy) achievements... and the crazy thing is, an app like that would sell like crazy if GC scores were as public as XBL scores are. I know people who will spend weeks working away on a game they don't even enjoy anymore simply to unlock all the achievements, and as we all know, cheating for scores totally counts.
Just like the "Flashlight" apps that quickly become known for doing other secret things like tethering, it would be easy for these "Jackpot" apps to get known and talked about, and I think they'd actually do really well. The missing piece of the puzzle is getting them approved by Apple, so they'd actually have to provide some real value to the user other than just boosting scores. I can't wait for the tantrums.
### [[EDIT]] --- This will also get interesting as games for Windows Phone 7 also can contribute to a user's Xbox Gamerscore. I'm less familiar with app publishing for Microsoft's platform, but I imagine since they're hungry to get apps in, they're pretty lax right now on what constitutes "unique and valuable".
Bear With Me
Because I'm a nerd, and feel a compulsion to tweak everything I touch, I'm currently doing battle with Typekit to alter the fonts on this site. I realize that everything looks like the battlefield in Avatar with boring sans-serif and ridiculous fantasy fonts being used together, and I'm still figuring out what went wrong. Bear with me, and hopefully this will soon be a much more beautiful place to read my thoughts. This is what staging environments are for.
It's hard out here for a craftsman.
### Edit: WHOA!! Everything just changed again! WTF, Typekit!?!
Reverse Psychology
I'm looking for a job right now. I have a couple options open at the moment, but I'm still knocking on doors so I can take the best possible next step in my career. I've always found it's better to seek help by helping others, so as I polish my resume and seek employment, I'm putting out the offer to help anyone else in the same position. I believe it will ultimately open doors for me to live this way.
I've polished resumes dozens of times in my life for students, friends, and even strangers on the internet, so if you'd like someone to take a second look at it, send it my way. I'll spend half an hour looking at it, making my suggestions, and passing it back to you.
Also, I know tons of people, particularly in Atlanta, and am aware of lots of job openings that I either don't want or am not qualified for. If you are looking for work, let me know, and I'll do my best to make a connection that leads to something good.
That's it. An open offer.
